Welder&#39;s electrode holder



C. LASKEY WELDERS ELECTRODE HOLDER April 27, 1943. 2,317,780

Filed June 1, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l .FfiGJ- FTI'E'L 4) l I i v 9 4 /8 3ill '3 3w r 29 F f l 1:) I: m 29 23 la 23 20 4 2o 22 I ll I r 40 40 4-6I, INVENTOR. 4- CLIFFORD LASKEY,

4 TTOE NE Y8.

Patented Apr.-27', 1943 OFFICE wnmmn's Emc'raonn nomma Clili'ord Laskey,Albany, Calif. Application June 1, 194 2, Serial No. 445,291

Claims. This invention relates to welders electrode holders of the typeadapted to be connected to a are retained between spring jaws. tuallyimpossible to fully insulate the tong type be relatively inexpensive tomanufacture and convenient to operate. -It is a further object of theinvention to provide an electrode holder of such simple constructionthatit maybe readily disassembled for inspection, maintenance and repair andreplacement of parts.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent asthis specification proceeds and the particular novelty of the devicewill be defined in the appended claims. a

In the drawings forming a part hereof,

Figure 1 is aside elevation of the device forming the subject matterhereof,

Figure 2 is another side elevation of the device with'the parts tion,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure1, and

Figure 4 is another sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

The electrode holder forming the subject matter of this application wasdesigned primarily, though by no means exclusively, for use inshipbuilding. It is well known that in shipyards thereof in slightlydifferent posi- -welding electrode holders are subjected to extremelyrough usage and that as a consequence the repair and replacement costsare exceedingly high. It is also a well known fact that the holders mostcommonly used in this particular art are of the tong'type wherein theelectrodes As it is vir-= holders the exposed contact points are thecause of countless accidents in which the operator is injured, or thework surface damaged, or the holder itself isdamaged or destroyed. For.example, when any conducting part of the devices comes in contact withgrounded metal the cur- 1 of oppositely disposed openings 21 and 28,alined rent will arc causing flashes orburning, the

latter being extremely destructive in character.

The electrode holder forming the subject matportion of cover ll.

ter hereof overcomes the stated and other objections'to the prior art'devicesin that it is a fully insulated structure.

Referring now to the drawings wherein there is illustrated a preferredembodiment of the invention, the numeral Hi designates an elongatedconductor tube of copper, or other conducting material, encased within acover H of insulating material, such as pressed paper fiber or the like.As will be noted from Figures 3 and 4, the conductor tube iii isopen-ended and its upper end is enclosed by the cover ll. The cover I!is rigidly secured on the conductor tube Ill by means of a pin H whichis preferably, though not necessarily, of fiber or other suitableinsulating material. 7

The conductor tube in is provided with com plemental longitudinallyextending slots i5 projecting downwardly from its upperend. Theinsulating cover I i likewise has a pair of complementallongitudinallyj-extending slots l8, terminating short of its upper orclosed end and in registry with a substantial portion oi the slots II intube Ill. The registering portions of slots l5 and I6 provide clearancefor pin 20, of fiber or other insulating material, connecting rodretaining plunger 2!, slidably disposed within the tube l0, and sleeve22 telescoped'upon theupper It will thus be seen that sleeve 22 and therod retaining plunger 2| are coupled for unitary movement within thelimits defined by the length of the slots 16 in cover H, or by a weldingrod I! inserted into the device.

The device forming the subject'matter of this application will retain anelectrode l8 in two separate and distinct positions, first, at rightangles to, the body of the structure and second,

at an oblique angle (see Figure 3). This is made possible by the use ofa tubular insert 25 secured within the upper end of tube HI by means ofa pin 26. The insert 25 is provided with a pair The rod retainingplunger ii is normally urged upwardly past the openings 21 and 28 in thetubular insert 25 and against the cross pin 16 by a coil spring 34. Theupper end of the spring l4 welding operations.

tube iii by means of a cross pin 31.

The lower end of the cover ii is encased ,within a grip 39 securedadjacent its upper end by means oi a fiberpin 40 extending through tubeid and cover ii. As will be noted from Figures 1 and 2, the grip 39 isrelieved at one side, as at the former to be slipped from the cover ll.

Grip

39 maybe removed by simply tapping out pin 40 M, to facilitate movementof the holder withv respect to a conventional electrical cable 32 withwhich it is adapted to be connected.

An improved means for connecting the conductor element iii of the holderwith the cable G2 is, shown in Figures 3 and 4 as comprising obliquelydisposed slots as 'cut into one side of tube 59 and terminating in apair of medially disposed openings is adapted to receive a wedge pin455. Having stripped an end of cable 62 of its conventional insulationtobare wires (it, theend of the cable is inserted in the lower end oftube it to dispose the mass of wires oppositeand extending beyond thecomplemental openings lid. Wedge pin 65 isthen driven into the slot 63to obtain a connection between the cable and the tube sufficiently rigidfor all normal operations,

but also a connection which may be conveniently broken for inspection orrepair of the holder by tapping out the wedge pin dli. 7

From the foregoing it will beseen that the construction and operation ofthe device is comparatively simple. In making the holder ready for use,the operator has merely to pull the sleeve 22 downwardly on cover ll,against the tension of the coil spring 35, to expose the opening 29 incover i I, the elongated slots IS in tube it! and the complementalopenings 28 and 21 in the insert 25,

v for insertion of the electrode it.

If it be desired to place the electrode l 8 at right angles to the bodyof the holder for ,normal welding operations, the rod I8 is insertedthrough opening 29 in cover ll, slot I5 in tube land into the openings28 and 21 in insert 25, with its inner end abutting cover it. (SeeFigure 3.) By then releasing the sleeve 22 the tension of spring -34will urge the plunger 2| upwardly in tube Hi I against rod H3, at whichpoint it will be held or gripped with sufiicient rigidity for all normalAdditionally, sleeve 22 is notched, as at 28, to bear directly againstand aid in proper positioning of rod l8.

If it be desired to dispose the rod ill at an oblique angle to the bodyof the holder for overhead or close work, the sleeve 22 and the plunger2l coupled therewith are simply moved downwardly to expose undercut 30in insert 25. Rod I8 maybe then inserted through the opening 29 in coverll, slot IS in tube In, the opening 28 in insert 25, with its inner andbelow the undercut 30 in insert 25, and into slot at the opposite sideof tube ill and abutting cover I I. Again, the tension of spring 34 willurge plunger 2| upwardly in tube ID to hold the rod IS in position.

(See dotted lines in Figure 3.)

The burned down stubs of rods "l8 may be quickly and convenientlyremoved from the holder by simply pulling downwardly on sleeve 22 andinverting the device permitting the stub to drop from the-holder.

The breakdown of the device for inspection and ,repair is an extremelysimple operation in that it is but necessary to tap out the fiber pin toseparate sleeve 22 from plunger 2| permitting 31 permits withdrawal ofspring 35, the associated cup seat 36 and plunger 2|.

An important feature of the present invention is the fact that exceptwhen a rod i8 is inserted for normal operations, the device is fullyinsulated and provides a dead end for the cable 42 when the device isnot in use. Thus it may be conveniently laid on any surface such asgrounded metal or the like without the usual dangers thought to be anormal incident of the use of electrode holders as a class.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a welder7selectrode holder having many advantages and a high degree of utility inthis art. It will be understood that while I have shown and describedherein a preferred embodiment of the invention, nevertheless, theprinciples thereof may take other forms and for this reason protectionis'desired according to the iull tubular member, an electrode receivingopening in,the cover in registry with one of theslots in the tubularmember, said cover also having a pair of complemental slots spaced apartfrom one of its ends in registry with a portion of the slots in thetubular member, an electrode engaging member slidably received in thetubular member, a spring seated in the tubular member normally urgingthe electrode engaging member past the electrode receivingopening insaid cover, a sleeve of insulating material slidably encasing a portionof said cover and having a non-conducting coupling through the slots insaid cover and the tubular member with the slidable electrode en'-gaging member. I

2. A welders electrode holder comprising, a tubular electricalconductor, a. pair or complemental slots extending longitudinally of thetube from one of, its ends, an insulating cover for the tubular member,an electrode receiving opening in the cover in registry with one of theslots in the tubular member, said cover also having a pair orcomplemental slots spaced apart from one of its ends in registry with aportion of the slots in the tubular member, an electrode engaglng memberslidably received in the tubular membet, a spring seated in the tubularmember normally urging the electrode engaging member past the electrodereceiving openingin said cover; and means within the tubular memberdefining a two position seat for the innermost end of the electrodeinserted through the opening in said cover.

-3. A welders electrode holder comprising, a

tubular electrical conductor, a pair of complemental slots extendinglongitudinally of the tube from one of its ends, an insulating cover forthe. tubular member, an electrode receiving opening in the cover inregistry with one of the slots in ing member slidably received in thetubular memher, a spring seated in the tubular member normally urgingthe electrode engaging member past the electrode receiving opening insaid cover, a sleeve of insulating material slidably encasing a portionof said cover and having a non-conducting coupling through the slots insaid cover and said tubular member with the slidable electrode engagingmember, and means within the tubular member defining a two position seatfor the innermost end of the electrode inserted through the opening insaid cover.

4. A welders electrode holder comprising, a tubular electricalconductor, a pair of complemental slots extending longitudinally of thetube from one of its ends, an insulating cover for the tubular member,an electrode receiving opening in the cover in registry with one of theslots in the tubular member, said cover also having a pair ofcomplemental slots spaced apart from one of its ends in registry with aportion of the slots in the tubular member, an electrode engaging memberslidably received in the tubular member, a spring seated in the tubularmember normally urging the electrode engaging member past the electrodereceiving opening in said cover, a tubular insert in the tubular memberhaving on one side an opening in registry with the opening in said coverand overlaying one of the slots in said tubular member, and on its otherside a pair of openings one of which complements the first mentionedopening.

5. A welders electrode'holder comprising, a tubularelectrical'conductor, a pair of complemental slots extendinglongitudinally of the tube from one of its ends, an insulating cover forthe tubular member, an electrode receiving opening in the cover inregistry with one of the slots in the tubular member, said cover alsohaving a pair oi complemental slots spaced apart from one of its ends inregistry with a portion of the slots in the tubular member, an electrodeengaging member slidably received in the tubular member, a spring seatedin the tubular member normally urging the electrode engaging member pastthe electrode receiving opening in said cover, a sleeve of insulatingmaterial slidably encasing a portion-of said cover and having anon-conducting coupling through the slots in said cover and the tubularmember with the slidable electrode engaging member, a grip of insulatingmaterial encasing the end of the cover opposite that which receives theelectrode.

